Armies in Retreat: Chaos, Cohesion, and Consequences Paperback – June 20, 2023

Armies in RetreatChaos, Cohesion, and ConsequencesDescriptions of retreats date back to ancient times. The earliest descriptions of a pitched battle are from the Battle of Megiddo, fought in the fifteenth century BCE, and include Canaanite forces fleeing the field to take refuge in the city from the Egyptian army of Thutmose III. Even the word Armageddon has its origin in the city’s name.In religious texts, warriors are often portrayed as those who do not flee or who stand tall in the face of the enemy due to faith in their chosen deity. In the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred text of Sikhs, the warrior is admonished to “keep up and press on. He should not yield, and he should not retreat.”1 For Hindus, the Kshatriyas—the warrior caste—indicated that they “resolve[d] never to retreat from battle.”2The Quran recorded an admonition that those who retreat from the enemy in battle “will earn the displeasure of Allah, and their home will be Hell.”3 Only those who retreated with the intent of deception or regrouping to attack again would be spared this fate. Armies like the United Nations forces in Korea certainly retreated to regroup and attack again.The warnings and descriptions against retreat present in the sacred texts’ military history could as easily have been written about more recent retreats as well. In 605 BC, Jeremiah had a vision that prophesied the retreating Egyptian army after the Battle of Carchemish at the hands of the Babylonians:What do I see?They are terrified,they are retreating,their warriors are defeated.They flee in hastewithout looking back,and there is terror on every side.4Certainly, the Egyptian retreat is not much different than that of 6 Indian Division in 1915. Both armies were paralyzed by fear, chaos, and terror permeating their forces. Read more